Oar and oar-lock



No Model.)

J FORBES OARAND OARLOUK.

' Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

{yin @5965" I UNITED STATEs PATENT FFICE.

JOHN FORBES, OF PLAINWELL, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES B. SMITH, OF VAN l/VERT, OHIO.

OAR AND OAR-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,186, dated October 22, 1895.

Application filed April 19, 1895. Serial No. 54:6,3'55- (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FORBES, a citizen of the United States, residing at the village of Plainwell, in the county of Allegan and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oars and Oar- Locks, of which the followingisaspecitication.

My invention relates to improvements in oars and oar-locks; and my invention relates particularly to improvements in an oar-lock which I patented June 25, 1878, No. 205,372.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide an oar in connection with an oarlock which shall be practically self-guiding, and one in which the point of resistance and the point of application of force to theoar shall comein line, so that the oar shall work'evenly; second, to provide an oar in combination with an oar-lock which shall be self-guiding, so that an inexperienced oarsman can operate the same properly; third, to provide an car which is so constructed that an inexperienced oarsman can perform proper feathering of his oar without difficulty; fourth, to provide an oar so constructed that it shall be easy upon the hand of the operative by avoiding all tendency of the same to twist in his hands; fifth, to provide an oar and oarlock combined having a ball-and-socket joint, which shall fit snugly and smoothly and operate perfectly; sixth, to provide a new and improved ball-and-socket joint for connecting the oar and oar-lock together; seventh, to provide in an oar having a ball-and-socket joint a covenient means of attaching the same, so that there is no weakening of the oar at the point of formation of the joint. I accomplish these objects of my invention by the devices shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of an entire car embodying all the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the oar-lock and a portion of the oar to which the same is attached. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the little arrows, showing the operation of the car in feathering. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the part D, which is inserted into one side of the oar. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the part B, which forms the lower portion of the socket for the head 0' of the rowlock; and Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified construction of the under socket-piece for the ball-and-socket joint.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the lettered parts of the drawings, A represents the oar, on the under side of which is formed my improved ball-and- 6o socket joint for the oar-lock.- The handle of the oar is bent slightly down, and a line extending through the center of the blade of the oar and through the center of thejoint and extended will pass through the upper side of the handle of the oar, thus making the point of application of the force come directly in the hand of the operative, and so prevent any tendency of the car to twist, which is the chief cause of injury to the hands that causes blisters. The joint is formed by hollowing out a portion on the under side of the car and inserting a socket-piece D, which is held properly in place by alittle stop D. A piece of soft rubber or gutta-percha E orother elastic material is placed between the socket-piece D and the oar and forms a yielding cushion on which the piece D rests. A ball G is on the upper end of the post 0 and fits into the socket. The under side of the socketis formed in the piece B, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6. The post 0 in the construct-ion preferred-that is, where the oar is adapted to featheris inserted through the socket B, and the portion B is then bolted or otherwise secured against the under side of the oar, holding the ball 0 firmly against the socket D. The elastic cushion E presses the socket-piece D close to the ball. This affords a joint which fits snugly to the ball 0' and prevents any looseness and allows 0 the car to tip up and down, as indicated in Fig. 2, or swing over to the side, as indicated in Fig. 3. The swinging of the same over to the side, as indicated in Fig. 3, is the position which the oar assumes in feathering. This 5 position is allowed by the peculiar formation of the opening in the socket B, having an opening to one side, as indicated at B" in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. It will thus be seen that this form of joint permits of all movements [00 of the oar required and also guides the same,

so that if the oarsman desires to feather his oar he needs pay no attention to tipping it to the proper angle, because it is guided in that manner perfectly, and when dipping the oar the blade is guided to pass into the water in the perpendicular position, that being the position which secures the greatest force.

\Vhere it is not desired to have the oar a feathering-oar, the socket is formed as indicated in Fig. 6, a slot 0 extending to one side to permit of the insertion of the ball and socket in that way when it is secured to the oar in the usual manner. The slot O permits the ball to be inserted when the post 0 is formed with the head or shoulder portion indicated for supporting the oar at the proper height above the gunwale. Idesire to say in this connection that in my former patent above referred to the handle of the car is bent downwardly; but it was bent down to establish the old line of draft in the oars, which is through the center of the handle. In this device I secure a new line of draft, the line extending through the center of the blade, through the center of the ball-and-socket joint, and through the upper surface of the handle at the point of grasping. This secures the effect of avoiding any tendency of the car to twist in the hand of the operative and cause blistering; and this feature was discovered by me after an unsatisfactory experience with my former oar. I desire to state in this connection that the peculiar guiding feature of the ball and socket can be secured by a construction similar to that shown in my former patent, the slots being cut in the two pieces, and as to the guiding feature I do not under any circumstances wish to be confined to the exact construction I have here shown, although I believe it is the best and that it possesses great merit over any other on account of its not weakening the oar and also on account of the very slight bend in the car, which is all that is required to bring the line of draft to the proper position, which facts I believe will be apparent to any one on examining my former patent in connection with this present patent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the car, A; the socket plate, D, inserted into the under side of the same with a suitable projection, D, thereon to hold it in place; an elastic cushion E, between said socket piece, D, and the oar; a post, 0, with a ball, 0, at the top thereof; and a plate, 13, on the under side of said oar, with a socket portion, B, formed in the under side thereof containing an elongated opening extending in the direction of the oar and branched to one side at the center to permit of turning the oar a quarter over to permit of a proper feathering of the oar, all co-acting together substantially as described forthe purpose specified.

2. The combination of an oar, A, the socket plate, D, inserted into the under side of the same; a post, 0, with a ball, 0', at the top thereof; a plate, B, on the under side of said car with a socket portion, B, formed in the under side thereof containing an elongated opening extending in the direction of the oar and branched to one side at the center to permit of a turning of the oar one quarter over to permit of a proper feathering of the oar, as specified.

3. The combination of an oar; a suitable downwardly projecting stem therefrom adapted to be supported in a suit-able socket in the gun-Wale of the boat; a ball at the upper end of said stem; and a suitable socket for said ball on the under side of the oar with slot-like openings to engage the downwardly projecting stem to guide the movements of the oar and permit of a proper dipping and feathering of the same, as specified.

4:. The combination, with an oar, of an upper socket portion formed in its under side; a post, C, with a ball at the top thereof; and a suitable plate in a single piece fitted to the under side of the car to embrace said ball and hold the same securely in its socket and per mit of a proper manipulation of the oar, as specified.

5. The combination of an car; an oar lock connected with a ball and socket joint, the ball thereof having a stem projecting therefrom; and asocket on the under side of the oar provided with suitable slot openings to engage the stem and guide the movements of the car and permit of a proper dipping and feathering of the same; and a suitable enlargement on said oar-lock to support it at the proper height above the gun-Wale of the boat, as specified.

6. The combination of an car with the handle thereof downwardly bent; the ball and socket connection with the lock on the under side of the oar so situated that aline through the center of the blade of the oar and through the center of the joint will pass through the upper surface of the handle at the point of grasping, as specified.

In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in thepresence of two witnesses.

JOHN FORBES. [n s] Witnesses:

WALTER S. W 00D, MARIAN I. LONGYEAR.

ICO 

